Ross Abdallah Alameddine

Ross Alameddine, a 20-year-old sophomore from Saugus, Mass., was known to keep a quote on his AOL Instant Messenger profile.

"Honesty and straightforwardness in strangers is a rarity. Treasure those who truly exemplify these traits -- because you may never again meet another who does."

Those who knew him well say it was an adage he chose to live by.

"He brought life into every life he touched," said Derek DeVito, a former classmate of Mr. Alameddine's at Austin Preparatory School in Reading, Mass., where the two attended high school.

A music fanatic, Mr. Alameddine loved jazz, and was also an avid video game enthusiast and computer whiz. But he was also known for his witty jokes and a sarcastic sense of humor that always seemed to lift friends' spirits.

Among the things he was most proud of, his friends say, was his car -- a teal Pontiac Grand Am that he won in a raffle and referred to as the car "I got for a dollar."

Leah Robinson, 20, a studio art major from Emporia, Va., took a music theory class last semester with Mr. Alameddine and became good friends with him. The two were the only nonmusic majors in a music theory class and bonded over it because they both loved music and took the class for fun.

Mr. Alameddine was a "hard core" fan of the jazz group Medeski, Martin and Wood, and tried to turn Ms. Robinson into one, too. Over time, they developed something of a routine: sitting together and doing homework, occasionally going to concerts, and almost always ending up stopping by the local IHOP for chocolate chip pancakes afterward.

Ms. Robinson saw Mr. Alameddine in person last week, but they chatted over the computer on Sunday night. Mr. Alameddine sent Ms. Robinson some quotes from her favorite movie, "The Science of Sleep," for an art project she was working on. They were trying to get together this week, she said.